Suara Hati Ayahku

Listening to others

If you are a teacher there are 3 groups of people that you must try to listen.

1) Your students
2) Your other friends called ‘teachers’
3) Your direct BOSS/ Principal

Explanation

(1) Students

To listen, you must try to speak less and listen more. If you keep on talking, of course you won’t have the time to listen to your low achieving students.

Usually it is the high achieving students who are trying to ask/ talk more in the class. Their questions are very directed to your teaching per se. This is different from the low performers. You must try to encourage them to ask. Probing more. For example. Lets say you are teaching x(y + 2). The low performers will most probably give you this by expansion. Xy + 2. Full stop. So how are you going to get the correct answer i.e., xy+2x. So you must call them to the board and let them talk to the board. You will hear them saying ‘x’ multiply by y and we get ‘xy’. Right? Then this is your turn to go nearer to them and show that the ‘x’ must be also multiplied by ‘2’. If you do not ask them to show how they multiply things up .. you wont get the final answer correct. So you must try listening them once a while ..how they get xy + 2 in the first place.

Similarly if x(x + 2xy) which is x squared plus 2xy. Full stop. You must keep on asking them ..what did you do just now? By listening a bit more during your lesson, the students will participate more in the class. Sometimes you get the step .. why they got it all wrong. The way they write their notes. Make sure the ‘x’ look like ‘x’ not multiplication symbol. Put effort on teaching them to write the curly fashion i.e., x

(2) Your friends called ‘the teachers’
Your friend once in a while will tell you that many students multiply the first part only from the bracket (parenthesis) while ignoring the rest of the terms in the bracket. They will tell you that ..it is the SPM marking scheme that the first mark ‘M1’ mandatory mark is awarded to the first process of multiplying the ‘x’ with the first item in the bracket. The other part is optional. Really? If they got it right then it is jolly good else it is still OK ..showing that the students know that by expansion .. the first term must be multiplied ‘x’ with the ‘x’.

Sometimes your friend wil tell you from their past experience .. that many students like to close the answer once and for all. For example x + 2y = 2xy. So you must try to listen. Why is that the way? Actually many students all over the world like to produce one solid answer at the end of their solution path. It is the habit they got from doing too much number problems. (Marzita Puteh, 2003; Pharmjit Singh, 2007).

At times, during the tea break, your friends will tell you that their students got some confusion as far as ‘plus’ and ‘multiplying’ processes. For example, x+ x = 2x and x(x)=2x also. So what next?

By listening to your friends you can gain more experience and exposure on students silly kinds of mistakes. By doing that , you are sharing your understanding of maths problems faced by all kinds of students.

(3) Your boss called PRINCIPAL

This man is the most important man in the school. From my experience , it is wiser to listen him talking about some important things like ‘ maths results in PMR and SPM are not doing well. So what is your plan, young man?’

If you are wise, just tell him that you are still new in this teaching business. So it is better to consult your senior teachers at school. Never tell him your plan. Just do what other senior teachers have done all this while. This will save your skin..perhaps.

If you are not wise, by telling the plan.. then every body wants to know your strategy of teaching algebra. Not only your senior teachers are going to see you teaching/ checking your lesson plan ..all the time.. but unknowingly ..your BOSS will also be interested to see your plan .. make sure you deliver the results. He..he..

Sometimes if you just stay quiet .. the BOSS will send to a course in PSPN Central Training for Science and mathematics or PKG .. ( Centre of Teachers Activities). At least you save your time.

My friends used to tell me .. never show that you are too clever .. cleverer than the senior teachers. If you do that .. then all kinds of work will come onto your shoulder. That’s great , isn’t it?

In school , the senior teachers are the one that got the most paid after the Principal. So let them think of the strategy . Not us .. the new comers ..or the new teachers in mathematics. We must know what are the boundaries in the school as far as teaching is concerned. Mnay teachers complained that the BOSS gave them so much work. Why? Because they talked too much when the BOSS ask them. To conclude, if the BOSS ask 4 words, you must answer HIM/HER at most 4 words too. Example? Can you do it George? The answer - I think I can’t, Sir.

That’s all for today. Any suggestion .. plz give me some feedback. Will you?